


Whispers in the Dark

by Lint



Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27731023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lint/pseuds/Lint
Summary: Nancy doesn't turn to look, as the Aglaeca's hands curl around her shoulders, eyes pinching shut as she tries not to scream.
Relationships: Ace/Nancy Drew
Comments: 5
Kudos: 104





	Whispers in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Post "The Clue in the Captain's Painting"

The sound is something you learn to take for granted.

Waves breaking on the coast. Whether it be rocks at the bottom of a cliff, or the endless miles of sand lined beaches, the crash and hiss echo across town just the same. An infinite supply of white noise your ears happen to catch among the bustle of any other day. Nancy hears a growl in it now. The low rumble of a sea creature calling for their heads. _Pay the debt you owe,_ it seethes. Blood for blood. Bones for bones.

The parking lot of the Claw is far enough away from the water that Nancy doesn't worry too much, about the Aglaeca can just reach out with a talon hand, to pull her into the watery depths at which she resides. That particular dream is still vivid in her mind, an ever changing stage of her fate, free of the first where she followed in the footsteps of her mother. Off a cliff and down to the surf, be it a grave in the ocean is a grave just the same. Her eyes ache with it, never able to fall back asleep after the creature slithers into her mind.

Ace pulls into the lot then, always the first as his name would indicate, offering a warm smile despite the fact that the bags beneath his eyes so closely resemble her own. She still hasn't told him there's a copy of his birth certificate, with his full given name, hidden away in one of her files. Found only after his betrayal with McGinnis, because girl who first met him and didn't do that kind of thing anymore, knew Ace wasn't his actual name but never cared enough to call him on it.

He hands her a cup of coffee, three creams two sugars, never forgotten from the first time he'd taken orders from the whole staff on a run to the local shop where the beans were better than what the Claw had to offer. She offers thanks, and watches as he takes a sip, wondering why Franklin Joseph Beaumont is a name he feels the need to hide. Taking her own sip, it's a question she may never ask.

“Rough night?” he inquires, though the answer is obvious.

Nancy shrugs, concentrating on the warmth of the coffee spreading into her hands.

“Aren't they all?”

He smirks but doesn't offer a response, and for a moment they simply stand there, acknowledging each other's company.

Bess, George, and Nick pull in shortly after, all huddled in the cab of his truck. The looks on their faces when they exit the vehicle are telling in that, they've each had their own fresh round of nightmares to deal with.

The growl turns to a roar, with the five of them together, all heads turning without thought toward the sea.

She is out there. She is waiting.

The Aglaeca's hiss hidden in the white noise of the waves.

_Blood for blood._

_Bones for bones._

/\

Nancy has seen pictures of Lucy Sable.

Always happy. Always smiling. Blonde and beautiful.

Their shared features just different enough, no one ever had the thought that, maybe... Just maybe, Nancy looked like a dead girl.

The ghost was born the moment that Sea Queen met her end. Pale and drowned. Eyes gone black as the ocean she fell within. Voice lost to the crash of water against the rocks. The visage that stands before her now, no longer looks like the twisted craven thing she's been dealing with for months. Just a girl. A girl who got into a situation she didn't know how to get out of.

“Mom?” Nancy can't help to ask.

It feels wrong the second that words leaves her lips. Because this girl hasn't become her yet. Never would by fates demand. Because Kate Drew was...

“Are you” she goes on, unsure of what to say. “Are you good now? Can you rest?”

No longer a wraith, but still without a voice, Lucy smiles sadly at her.

One small shake of the head, and a swirl of guilt nauseates into Nancy's stomach. All that work, all she'd done, amounts to nothing if Lucy's soul will never find peace.

“I'm sorry,” she states, tears welling in her eyes. “I'm so-”

_Lucy Sable, was once able, to look up on sea._

Nancy's eyes grow wide. The words not coming from the ghost. Her mouth still caught in that smile.

_But someone got her, in the water, now that's where she'll always be._

Backpedaling a step, Nancy's feet move in slow motion, as if she's wading through-

_Count to five, enjoy the view._

The nausea turns to fear, this pretty girl more terrifying than the ghost had ever been.

_Hope the killer doesn't get you!_

“Stop!” Nancy shouts, throwing up her hands in defense. “Please. Please sto-”

_One, two, three, four, five._

She can no longer speak as her mouth fills with water, tongue recoiling from the salt, throat freezing with cold as it slowly flows into her lungs.

_You'll never get out of here alive!_

-

Nancy falls out of bed, knees hitting the floor with a thud, spewing the remnants of sea water from her chest to the floor. Tears sting her eyes as she gasps for breath, taking in big gulps of air while the beat of her heart pounds against her ribs, and finally fall at the sight of the water coughed up swiftly turning to sand.

/\

George snaps orders with more fire that usual.

Three weeks into the Aglaeca haunting their every single moment of REM sleep, on top of other random moments of the day, their crew is running ragged. Each member's tasks at the Claw accomplished at a snail's pace with mistakes constantly made, and even though the co-owner herself is guilty of them too, wants no excuses given.

“Nightmare creature or not,” she states before storming into the back. “We have jobs to do. This is still a place of business.”

Fatigue is what Nancy blames for the lack of a witty comeback on anyone's part. Bess staring blankly at the salt shakers she's supposed to be refilling. Ace looking confused as he adds one too many utensils to the tables he's setting. Nick doesn't look as bad off as the others, even though he's pouring cream into a cup without any coffee, and Nancy wonders if that has anything to do with the fact that he isn't sleeping alone most nights.

Not that it matters to the Aglaeca.

They are accosted whether alone or all together. Split into duos or trios.

Nancy reaches for the coffee pot and pours the missing component into Nick's cup. Something he gives a fond smile at. Upon closer inspection, he does appear as exhausted as the rest of them, perhaps he is just more capable of keeping it together in dire situations. He's certainly had the practice.

She wants to ask what the monster shows him when he sleeps. What it shows any of them. No one gives details about the dreams, each one growing more inherently personal the longer this carries on. Just that they continue on a downward spiral straight into their deepest, darkest fears.

Nancy catches a flash reflected in a napkin dispenser, the gasp causing Nick to follow her eyes. A gasp that is quickly echoed by Bess, and followed with Ace uttering “whoa” in front of one of the windows. The Aglaeca appears on every shiny surface she can, snarling teeth, patience fading with every moment payment does not come.

George returns to the dining room then, a curse shouted so loud everyone can't help but turn toward her, as the box of oyster crackers she'd been carrying spills its contents onto the floor.

The monster is gone when they look again, and for several moments no one dares to move.

/\

Nancy watches numbly as they wheel Rose Turnbull's body from the warehouse.

Her hunch for the missing girl's location had been correct, but the timing was all wrong. Climbing up the hidden staircase all she found was a scene straight out of a horror movie. The girl lying dead in the middle of some kind of shrine. Arms and legs bound to hooks protruding from the floor. Symbols painted with her blood. Another body lay in front of what looked like a door to nowhere and, upon closer inspection, she discovered it to be Nathan Gomber himself.

Whatever deal with the devil he struck, paid with his own life, though Nancy doesn't much care that appears to be the case. The shame of failure burns within her veins. So much that she storms out of the warehouse and makes an anonymous phone call to the police, and lingers in the shadows, watching the scene unfold.

Some detective she turned out to be.

Turning to leave, Nancy is struck with the sudden realization that this is not how it happened. No. She saved Rose Turnbull. She caught Nathan Gomber. This was the first step into a role that would define the next few years of her life.

_My life_ , a voice whispers from behind. _It belongs to me, now._

Nancy doesn't turn to look, as the Aglaeca's hands curl around her shoulders, eyes pinching shut as she tries not to scream.

-

There are scratches on her skin, sharp and stinging when she shifts onto her side, exactly where the Aglaeca's hands had been. Nancy checks her phone to see it's three in the morning. Knowing there's no chance of falling back asleep, not that she wants to, rising from the bed she pads toward the bathroom. Eyeing the mirror warily, she hopes the monster had got its fill of her tonight, and counts to five before letting herself stand in front of it.

The wounds are not deep, though she hisses against the hydrogen peroxide dabbed along them, and braces against the sink when finally finished. Checking the time on her phone again, only fifteen minutes have passed. With a sigh, she opens hers messages and clicks on the first thread.

_You awake?_ She sends.

The response is instantaneous.

_Usually._

A smirk pulls at her lips.

_Can you meet me somewhere?_

Again, the reply is quick.

_Anywhere._

/\

There's a view point on Skyline Drive that no one, local or tourist alike, actually uses. Despite its isolation from the town proper, the winding road that leads to it, is usually not worth the effort of navigating for a lover's lane or place to use drugs uninterrupted. With all the sea caves, inlets, and valleys between dunes there are plenty of other spots in Horseshoe Bay to fill those needs.

It was the first place she could think of, that's far enough away from the water, without actually leaving town. Ace doesn't complain about having to come all the way up here at her request. Doesn't remind her that driving along the road is scary enough during the day, let alone just a few hours before dawn, and of course has beaten her there because his house is closer to the hills.

Leaning against his car, he waits for her with hands in pockets, offering a hello in the form of a nod. As always, he doesn't bombard her with questions, but waits patiently for whatever it is she needs to convey. It hits her then, that he could be thinking she'd finally found the words that were promised to be shared, just a few weeks ago.

Thing is, she's had them for awhile now. Neatly written in a notebook within the confines of her mind. A bright yellow post-it note placed carefully on the front. For Ace, RE: words. She's just been distracted. They all have. Nancy doesn't want to demand more of him, even though she knows he's got empathy in droves.

“Hey,” she finally greets. “Thanks for coming.”

He shrugs, never bothered. Even with all that is going on, she's never truly seen him rattled. It makes her wonder, what the Aglaeca shows him in dreams. What memories twist into horror. If his near death experience is replayed before him in a dozen different ways. She can see it then, illuminated in the headlights of their cars, how truly tired he is. Just as she. Just as all of them.

Closing the gap between them, Nancy wraps her arms around his waist, and presses her ear against his chest. Ace as always, takes the sudden physical proximity in stride, and envelopes her with his arms. Neither one says anything for a few moments, each wondering just how far the reach of their tormentor is, if this spot is safer than any other.

When it becomes clear the Aglaeca will not make her presence known, Nancy shifts slightly so that their eyes meet, and sees that empathy she's been craving.

“I'm so tired,” she confesses.

Ace ducks down, so that their foreheads press together.

“Me too.”

Nancy can't help but sigh.

“When is this going to end?”

Ace pulls back.

“When we pay the toll.”

Nancy knows this. Still, for some reason, she never expected him to acknowledge it.

“That's not an option,” she insists. “I can't let you, any of you, get hurt because of me. I mean, it's all my-”

“We knew what we were getting into,” he interrupts. “The blame doesn't rest entirely with you.”

She doesn't know how to reply to such a statement.

“Besides,” he goes on. “Defeating an ancient sea monster is just another Wednesday for the heroes of Horseshoe Bay. We'll find a way.”

Nancy laughs brokenly, turning her head away.

“Do you really believe that?”

Ace, ever remaining calm, whispers in her ear.

“Au petit bonheur la chance.”

/\

Lucy Sable stands on a podium, sash and crown of the Sea Queen, sparkling under a spotlight. The ghost of Dead Lucy stands on a step just to her right, hair and dress drenched with water, eyes black and empty under that same light. Ryan Hudson stands on a step to the left, shorts and shoes telling of a boating trip, a hand to his eyes to block the light that shines.

_This is what you were born of_ , a voice says. _Your blood. Your bones. Some I have taken. Some I may take still._

Nancy sits in the audience, unable to answer, unable to move.

Kate Drew replaces Lucy on the podium, as Carson steps in for Ryan, and the ghost space remains empty.

_This is what you were raised of_ , the voice continues. _Your home. Your heart. Secrets are not the same as lies, foolish girl. At times, ignorance can be bliss._

Nancy struggles against invisible bonds, teeth clenched, but tongue silent.

George, Bess, Nick, and Ace appear on the podium. Adjusted to make room for a fourth. Nancy watches in dismay, as each one of their deaths play out before her. Bess' screams of agony while flames consume her. George and Nick clutching at their chests, when water fills their lungs and spills from their mouths. Ace, impaled on a hook, chokes on his own blood while feet dangle just above the floor.

_This is the price you must pay,_ the voice seethes bitterly. _I gave you what you asked for, and you tempted to cheat me of it._

The sound of the ocean echoes throughout the theater, waves crashing louder and louder, a message conveyed in the water. Blood for blood. Bones for bones.

Then, the voice is in her ear, so close that the hairs rise on the back of Nancy's neck.

_No matter who you love_ , it carries on. _No matter where you go. Tragedy will surely follow._

-

Nancy's eyes snap open, bed sheet clutched within her hand. As her eyes slowly come into focus, it's Ace's shirt she's clinging to, but the man himself is undisturbed by her clawing. His form is tranquil, despite a crease between his brow she notices when turning her head from its perch upon his chest, no doubt suffering from a bout with the Aglaeca. It takes a moment to realize it's not her bed they're huddled on, nor is this her room on River Heights Drive. That Ace had offered up his place as sanctuary, though it couldn't possibly be, but was accepted anyway because the idea of going home alone is one she didn't wish to entertain.

Ace inhales sharply, but remains asleep, and she wonders if waking him up from a nightmare will have any ill affect considering the source. She doesn't have to think to long on that, when her phone does the job just fine, Bess' name appearing on the screen.

“Sorry to wake you,” her voice carries through the speaker. “Though I very much doubt you were sleeping. Like any of us are.”

Nancy and Ace's share a look at that, a grin forming between them.

“Anyway, Victoria may have found something to help us with our little problem. George says to meet at the Claw in half an hour, and you better be there, because she is not going repeat herself if you're not.”

Nancy can't help to roll her eyes.

“Yeah,” she assures. “No problem. We'll be there.”

“We?” Bess' voice shoots up an octave. “Who are you-”

“I'll see you in half an hour,” Nancy cuts her off, hanging up the phone promptly.

She lets her head fall back to Ace's chest, if only for a moment, her breath catching when he starts to play with her hair.

“I'm guessing there's no time for breakfast,” he states softly.

Nancy's hand finally eases on his shirt.

“Probably not,” she agrees.

Neither of them seem to be in a hurry to disengage from their position, not that Nancy minds. Despite waking from yet another nightmare, this is the first time in weeks she's not drained upon doing so, and wonders if it's the same for him.

She doesn't have time to think about it. Just like there's no time to think about a day coming. Where she shares the words. Where she lets him know that he is the only one she could ever think to share them with. A day where she finds the courage to kiss him without the guilt of grief. Without the expectation of feelings she is currently incapable of processing. Because she cannot think of another way to thank him, for being someone that does not expect anything from her, other than what she is willing to give.

That day is coming. But for now, another one precedes it.

An inevitable showdown with the Aglaeca. Which, depending on what Victoria has to share, may actually turn out in their favor.

Nancy still doesn't move, nor does Ace.

(The Claw is only ten minutes away.)


End file.
